What two plus generations of Bushco control has done to the USA's bottom line, all but wrecked it at the undeniable quest for profit. As the smoke begins to clear, as if it was even that thick The truth starts to emerge!

AP IMPACT: US wasted billions in rebuilding Iraq

Will be proven in time to be a drop in the bucket, especially when you factor in the countless numbers of lives most affected.

KHAN BANI SAAD, Iraq – A $40 million prison sits in the desert north of Baghdad, empty. A $165 million children's hospital goes unused in the south. A $100 million waste water treatment system in Fallujah has cost three times more than projected, yet sewage still runs through the streets

As the U.S. draws down in Iraq, it is leaving behind hundreds of abandoned or incomplete projects. More than $5 billion in American taxpayer funds has been wasted — more than 10 percent of the some $50 billion the U.S. has spent on reconstruction in Iraq, according to audits from a U.S. watchdog agency.

That amount is likely an underestimate, based on an analysis of more than 300 reports by auditors with the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction. And it does not take into account security costs, which have run almost 17 percent for some projects.

There are success stories. Hundreds of police stations, border forts and government buildings have been built, Iraqi security forces have improved after years of training, and a deep water port at the southern oil hub of Umm Qasr has been restored.

Even completed projects for the most part fell far short of original goals, according to an Associated Press review of hundreds of audits and investigations and visits to several sites. And the verdict is still out on whether the program reached its goal of generating Iraqi good will toward the United States instead of the insurgents.

Hoe does it make all of you so called conservative's feel when you see these insane numbers, numbers you helped finance with your day jobs?

KHAN BANI SAAD, Iraq – A $40 million prison sits in the desert north of Baghdad, empty. A $165 million children's hospital goes unused in the south. A $100 million waste water treatment system in Fallujah has cost three times more than projected, yet sewage still runs through the streets

As the U.S. draws down in Iraq, it is leaving behind hundreds of abandoned or incomplete projects. More than $5 billion in American taxpayer funds has been wasted — more than 10 percent of the some $50 billion the U.S. has spent on reconstruction in Iraq, according to audits from a U.S. watchdog agency.

That amount is likely an underestimate, based on an analysis of more than 300 reports by auditors with the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction. And it does not take into account security costs, which have run almost 17 percent for some projects.

There are success stories. Hundreds of police stations, border forts and government buildings have been built, Iraqi security forces have improved after years of training, and a deep water port at the southern oil hub of Umm Qasr has been restored.

Even completed projects for the most part fell far short of original goals, according to an Associated Press review of hundreds of audits and investigations and visits to several sites. And the verdict is still out on whether the program reached its goal of generating Iraqi good will toward the United States instead of the insurgents.

Col. Jon Christensen, who took over as commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region District this summer, said the federal agency has completed more than 4,800 projects and is rushing to finish 233 more. Some 595 projects have been terminated, mostly for security reasons.

Christensen acknowledged that mistakes have been made. But he said steps have been taken to fix them, and the success of the program will depend ultimately on the Iraqis — who have complained that they were not consulted on projects to start with.

"There's only so much we could do," Christensen said. "A lot of it comes down to them taking ownership of it."

The reconstruction program in Iraq has been troubled since its birth shortly after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. The U.S. was forced to scale back many projects even as they spiked in cost, sometimes to more than double or triple initial projections.

As part of the so-called surge strategy, the military in 2007 shifted its focus to protecting Iraqis and winning their trust. American soldiers found themselves hiring contractors to paint schools, refurbish pools and oversee neighborhood water distribution centers. The $3.6 billion Commander's Emergency Response Program provided military units with ready cash for projects, and paid for Sunni fighters who agreed to turn against al-Qaida in Iraq for a monthly salary.

But sometimes civilian and military reconstruction efforts were poorly coordinated and overlapped.

Iraqis can see one of the most egregious examples of waste as they drive north from Baghdad to Khan Bani Saad. A prison rises from the desert, complete with more than two dozen guard towers and surrounded by high concrete walls. But the only signs of life during a recent visit were a guard shack on the entry road and two farmers tending a nearby field.

Two farmers tending the field--Gee I wonder if they had a Mule?

They own you and you continue to worship them, even as they rob you blind. I'll always stand in awe of such blatant ignorance. 😉

In March 2004, the Corps of Engineers awarded a $40 million contract to global construction and engineering firm Parsons Corp. to design and build a prison for 3,600 inmates, along with educational and vocational facilities. Work was set to finish in November 2005.

But violence was escalating in the area, home to a volatile mix of Sunni and Shiite extremists. The project started six months late and continued to fall behind schedule, according to a report by the inspector general.

The U.S. government pulled the plug on Parsons in June 2006, citing "continued schedule slips and ... massive cost overruns," but later awarded three more contracts to other companies. Pasadena, Calif.-based Parsons said it did its best under difficult and violent circumstances.

Citing security concerns, the U.S. finally abandoned the project in June 2007 and handed over the unfinished facility to Iraq's Justice Ministry. The ministry refused to "complete, occupy or provide security" for it, according to the report. More than $1.2 million in unused construction material also was abandoned due to fears of violence.

The inspector general recommended another use be found for the partially finished buildings inside the dusty compound. But three years later, piles of bricks and barbed wire lie around, and tumbleweed is growing in the caked sand.

"It will never hold a single Iraqi prisoner," said inspector general Stuart Bowen, who has overseen the reconstruction effort since it started. "Forty million dollars wasted in the desert."

Hey BROTHER can you spare a dime? Only it ain't so f,ing funny! Oh well par for the course--goes with the territory--or they say. Makes you feel warm and fuzzy all over doesn't it!

all with nothing to show for it, and it even cost more than the Iraq war.

So what's you're point?

It's not like Bush was over there handing out the money personally.

BloodStone...

If it were raining hookers, I'd get hit by a fag.

August 30, 20105:11 pm

evutch

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get your numbers right bloody. or are you getting this from Beck?

August 30, 20105:47 pm

BloodStone

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Again , I don't watch or listen to Beck... 🙄

It was a full page story how the stimulus cost more than the Iraq war, and has even less to show for it.

The worst part is He isn't done blowing our money yet. They are talking about another stimulus, for what ? the first three did nothing but waste our hard earned money.

Get you're facts straight...

BloodStone...

If it were raining hookers, I'd get hit by a fag.

August 30, 20106:46 pm

Cole_Trickle

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Bush and his clan crafted the Stimulus prior to leaving office and my friend--IF THE FULL TRUTH BE KNOWN--It was done to protect those in the fold @ Goldman Sachs--- Obama is one in the same only a wolf of a different color, but rest assured of the same cloth! He's a groomed for career politician. Still waiting for someone to come up with his first real full time job!

Bushco and company are those most responsible for this utter chaos ----sprinkle their boy in there too, only Bubba was twice as smart as Jr so he hid his vices a bit better--

Something tells me Obama has no intention of wanting a second term----Only Fools imagine that is anything other than a grand scheme thought up by TPB--Palin and the fossil should be proof enough of that.

No Sir--Bush set the table for all sorts of corruption to take place in Iraq and Afghanistan--why would be be over there handing it out when all he needed was that monster RUBBER STAMP!

You know the one with the words: A MATTER OF NATIONAL SECURITY inscribed on the backside! Sad but true.

$2,000.00 a day Private security contractors---most of whom have never cleaned their weapons for Christ Sake.

The thing---the thing that really really pissed me off in the beginning--was the absolute shameful DAWG AND PONY SHOW GENERALS---Who would visitCountry under protection of PRIVATE SECURITY----High Dollar x Military---some/many from Bosnia---making hundreds of K a year --while entry level grunts were risking their lives for base pay--or worse, RESERVES in their 40's and 50's with jobs and real famiules dependent upon their Fathers/Husbands or in some cases Mothers/Wives incomes getting their legs blown off, or flat out killed.

Still pisses me off, this waste of money--what does it mean? Who really cares? Who's gonna play them 8's and Ace's, who's gonna do it. Beck, Palin--come on already this is serious shit-

Cut through the political BS and call a spade a spade---Bush has written a Book---Give me an f, ing break---They have no shame and force themselves on any and all they wish too.

Just an example.

Yeah so what---PROBLEM: Most choose to ride off into the sunset--these people think the own the world---some would say they have for 50 years now!

I'm sure if you ask most Iraqis they are happy we spent that money there.

But why ask someone who may have benefited from it ? 🙄

Cut through the political BS and call a spade a spade---Bush has written a Book---Give me an f, ing break

And Obamao wrote two books before fooling half the country , again what's you're point?

It was also Bush who put the surge together to save Iraq from being lost, looks like he did something right huh ? Though now Obamao is taking the credit for something he was against. 🙄

Call a spade a spade indeed.

BloodStone...

If it were raining hookers, I'd get hit by a fag.

August 30, 20107:20 pm

Cole_Trickle

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Iraq lost--before or after: Would you be comfortable opening a Deli in Baghdad, maybe an all you can eat buffet?

Come on Stoner I admire your tenacity but it was in Fact Bush Sr pulling the strings--Jr was still in Diapers in 1990.

My point is that making this an issue Now, is part and parcel of pure Politics--Nothing more and nothing less and YES it pisses me off to no end. They are f,ing with our stability as a country under false pretenses and some of us seem to be okay with that just as long as the one they prefer holds office.

I have an issue, bone to pick over such stupid logic. This story isn't even cool yet and the right is already saying stuff like " WELL GEE " 5 Billion is only a bit over 10% of the total expense " 😈 😈 😈

Don't you see---EVERYTHING MUST BE JUSTIFIED---Screw it---give me 10% of the 5 billion and I'll shine your shoes, take out your trash, and call you DADDY until the day you die!"

People are losing jobs, can't make payments and these motherphuckers think 5 billion dollars is no big damn deal!

Maybe not you--but that flat out insults me and I don't give a flying flip WHO'S IN THE WHITE HOUSE--OR WHO THE SHERIFF IS OR WHO THE F,ING DAWG CATCHER IS. WRONG IS JUST WRONG.

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